Weatherford teases Times/Herald with 'April Fools' daily schedule

April Fools.

House Speaker Will Weatherford decided to have a little fun with
his daily schedule for April 1, teasing the press corps and specifically the Times/Herald bureau with fake
appointments.

His daily schedule, which the Times/Herald bureau uses in its dogged coverage of Weatherford and
the Legislature, speaks of “secret budget negotiations,” a “third annual”
retirement party for longtime Times reporter
Lucy Morgan and a 5:30p.m. “review of March Madness Bracket with Team
Leadership.”

12 p.m.: Preview of all of Rep. Williams’ introductions and announcements
for the rest of the Session

4pm: Third Annual Lucy Morgan Retirement Party (TBD)

5:30pm: Review of March Madness Bracket with Team Leadership
(Speaker’s Office)

For background:

The Herald’s Mary
Ellen Klas has a knack for outing lawmakers for their secret
negotiations with lobbyists and other lawmakers. She’s documented severalinstanceswherelegislators
appear dangerously
close to breaking the state’s Sunshine Law and ethics rules.

The Times’ Michael
Van Sicker wrote a sweeping profile
of Weatherford last month, highlighting the Speaker’s little-known arrest after
a fight in Ybor City several years ago.

The Times’ Lucy
Morgan recently
retired after 48 years on the job. It was her second time hanging up her
hat in recent years, though she says this time it's for good.

Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, is known to have a lot of "introductions" on the House floor, since his constituents can easily drive over to the Capitol to be honored.